Yama Man McRae Meets a Demon

About the author: Following a previous life, he has turned his attention to telling stories about the Old West during the 19th and early 20th centuries. He has discovered there are thousands of untold stories to be found in old newspapers, magazines, and sometimes even history books. The stories he writes are mostly made-up fiction, but then so are a lot of history books. He has learned that what people most value are not the bare bone facts of the past, but the stories we tell about them. Steve (whose friends mostly refer to him as "Bart") derives his idea from listening to people, walking around old neighborhoods, and a lot of reading. As for his previous life, he had an undistinguished career in civil service. His first actual job was in the U.S. Army. Someday he may write a book titled "All I Need to Know I learned in the Army." He now lives in a rural part of northern California, where he likes to listen to folks and look at trees.

December, 1906. For the third time, McRae finds himself conversing with a disembodied spirit. The first time, before the San Francisco Quake, it was a dead Italian soldier. The second, A.Q. (After Quake), she was a live woman lying in a coma thousands of miles distant. Now McRae, reporter for the San Francisco Call, gets sent to cover a story not Quake related. There has been a mining disaster in Bakersfield. Five men are dead, one still living, but trapped underground. Can he be rescued? A great human interest report, dramatic and easy to write, what could go wrong? Until McRae finds himself talking to an actual demon. Or is it a god? Its name is Yama, and it says it wants Justice. Then Crazy Mollie shows up to help.